The Nation Newspaper

Tag: target

  • Spurs target £2m-rated Moses Simon

    Spurs target £2m-rated Moses Simon

    English Premier League side, Tottenham Hotspurs had Moses Simon watched in both legs of Slovenia’s Trencin’s Europa League qualifier against Hull City– and are ready to put in a firm bid for the teenager.

    Simon, 19, is regarded as one of Europe’s hottest prospects and has already attracted attention from Liverpool and Celtic, plus Holland heavyweights Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord.

    Born in Jos, Plateau State in Nigeria. Simon is a product of the famed GBS Academy, the same football academy in Nigeria that produced the likes of Ahmed Musa. He was linked with Nigerian Premier League club Kaduna United, as many professional clubs around the world were also eager to sign him.

    On 10 May 2013 it was announced that the winger had signed a pre-contractual agreement with Dutch footballing giants AFC Ajax to join the club in pre-season training, having previously been linked with Liverpool F.C. and Tottenham Hotspur.

    He made his first appearance for Ajax on 13 July 2013 in pre-season friendly match against De Graafschap, coming on as a substitute player and scoring the third and final goal in the 64th minute of the match, in a 0–3 away win.

    He made a further appearance on 17 July, playing for the reserves team Jong Ajax in a pre-season friendly match against Voorschoten ’97, scoring the second goal in the 5–0 home win. On 25 July 2013 it was announced that Ajax would not sign the young Nigerian, ultimately waiving him from the pre-season roster.

    It was later revealed that the development of Lesley de Sa was the reason for Ajax decision not to contractually bind the young player. After the announcement discussions commenced with AS Trencín; Ajax partner club in Slovakia, which is owned by former Ajax player Tschen La Ling.

    British tabloids Mirror and Daily Mail report the scouts of the EPL club were impressed with the AS Trencin winger in both legs of the Slovak club’s unsuccessful Europa League qualifier against Hull City.

    Simon, who was at a time reported to have signed for Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam, has been very impressive since he joined Trenchin in January.

    He has scored nine goals in 17 appearances for the club, including seven in his last five league matches.

    He failed to make the final cut to the 2013 FIFA U20 World Cup in Turkey.

    His agent, Tony Harris, is also known to have strong links with Spurs and even arranged for Nigeria World Cup midfielder Reuben Gabriel to train there earlier this year before he finally signed for Belgian club Beveren.

  • UEFA Champions League: Ogbuke gets quarter-final target

    Super Eagles and Schalke 04 forward Chinedu Obasi Ogbuke and his club team mates have been handed at least a quarter-final finish in the 2014/15 UEFA CL campaign and Germany Bundesliga top four finish.

    Club director of sport Horst Heldt challenged the Nigerian star and his mates to ensure the team goes as far as reaching the quarter-finals of the competition this season, as well as ensuring they qualify for the competition again next season.

    Heldt in a statement on Sport1.de believes only last season champions Bayern Munich are out of his side’s reach and as such has set his club’s sights very high for the 2014-15 campaign.

    “Of course when you have qualified for the Champions League three times in a row, then you are not going to settle for finishing fifth or sixth.

    “It’s going to be an interesting season and we want to get the most out of it. What that will be, I cannot say.

    “We want to contend for the leading positions. We want to go further than the last 16 in the Champions League and we want to go further in the DFB-Pokal too,” Heldt stated.

    Despite seeing league holders Bayern as the team to beat again this season, Heldt declared his side are not merely focusing on trying to get the better of Pep Guardiola’s side.

    ”We’re following our own goals. It’s a mistake always to compare yourselves with the others and orientate yourself around them. Many clubs are trying to send good teams into the season and it’s going to be exciting,even if Bayern are of course leading the way.

    “They are the favourites, but we have a good team too which has improved,and we are ready for our tasks.

    “We have kept our team intact and the younger player are now more mature.We’ve also got our long-term injured back,so we’ve not needed to spend money really,” Heldt added.

    The Nigerian star and his German side finished in third place last season behind title favorites Bayern and local rivals Borussia Dortmund.

  • Swansea target £3m-rated Ramon Azeez

    Swansea target £3m-rated Ramon Azeez

    Swansea are weighing up a move for Almeria’s £3million-rated midfielder and Nigeria international to the Brazil 2014 World Cup, Ramon Azeez.

    The 21-year-old was named Young Player of the Year at the La Liga club last term and capped a stellar season by being named in the Nigeria squad for the World Cup.

    Azeez is a dynamic midfielder that has been highly-rated within the Super Eagles camp for some time now. He began his career in the Almeria B team but after two terms of rapid improvement, he was promoted to the senior team.

    Indeed, his game continued to blossom as he featured in over 30 games for the team, drawing showers of praise for his all-round midfield game.

    Swansea are keen to inject some class and athleticism into their team, and with Azeez’s technical skills they know he will he fit seamlessly into their style.

    Almeria have inserted a release clause in the midfielder’s contract but the Swans see that as value for money for a player that was voted the third best at the Under-17 World Cup in 2007, and captained Nigeria to the quarter-finals of the Under-20 competition three years later.

  • Alex on target for Arsenal

    Alex on target for Arsenal

    Former Super Eagles captain Austin Jay Jay Okocha’s nephew Alex Iwobi scored the fifth and final goal for Arsenal Under-21 in a 5-1 thrashing of Harrow Borough in a pre-season game.

    Iwobi signed his professional deal with Arsenal on the 9th of May 2014 and his display against the Isthmian League Premier Division side proved Arsenal were right in tying him down.

    The 18-year-old who, was a regular for Arsenal Under-18s last season, aside making six appearances in the U-21 Premier League in 2013/14 was a thorn in the flesh of the opposition defenders.

    He helped himself to a goal in the 52nd minute after two assists to Dan Crowley and Benik Afobe for the third and fourth goal respectively.

    Now an England Under-18 international, SL10 can reveal he shunned an invitation to be a part of the Nigeria Under-17 team last year after he was asked to fly himself to Nigeria for camping.

    Quick and skilful, Iwobi was a stand-out performer in the Gunners’ FA Youth Cup campaign last season.

    He scored three goals in six appearances to help the team to the semi-finals of the elite youth competition, including a crucial strike against Charlton Athletic in the fifth round.

     

  • I was the target, says Buhari

    I was the target, says Buhari

    Former Head of State Gen. Muhammadu Buhari spoke yesterday on the bombing of his convoy, saying the explosion was an assassination attempt on his life.

    In a statement he personally signed in Kaduna, Gen. Buhari said: “I am personally involved in a clearly targeted bomb attack today at about 2:30pm on my way to Daura.

    “The unfortunate event, clearly an assassination attempt, came from a fast-moving vehicle that made many attempts to overtake my security car, but was blocked by the escort vehicle.

    “We reached the market area of Kawo where he took advantage of our slowing down and attempted to ram into my car. He instantly detonated the bomb which destroyed all the three cars in our convoy.

    “Unfortunately, when I came out of my vehicle, I saw bodies littered around. They were innocent people going about their daily business, who became victims of mass murder.

    “Thank God for His mercy, I came out unhurt, but with three of my security staff sustaining minor injuries. They have since been treated in hospital and discharged.”

  • 3SC target away point against Go Round

    3SC target away point against Go Round

    3SC of Ibadan have arrived Omoku ahead of today’s National League tie with Go Round brimming with confidence to hold on to the top of the table.

    The Oluyole Warriors were relegated at the end of last season but are eyeing a sensational return after just a season in the lower division. They are presently on top of the log with 33 points ahead of second placed Gabros FC of Nnewi who are on 32 points.

    The club’s Media Officer, Jubril Arowolo told SportingLife that the players were in high spirits and have vowed not to leave Omoku without anything as they seek consolidation on their first spot in the league.

    “We are in Port Harcourt and are ready for Go Round. We know it won’t be easy but our sights are set on getting something out of the tie. We are on course in the promotion race,” Arowolo told SportingLife.

    The Ibadan sides defeated Stationary Stores 3-0 in the last league encounter with goals from Nojeem Olukokun, Taofeek Adepoju and Olufemi Ajayi Junior in the 11th, 47th and 80th minutes last Wednesday.

  • Simon on target in Slovakia

    Simon on target in Slovakia

    Nigeria youth international Moses ‘Daddy’ Ajala Simon has got off to a great start in the new Corgon Liga season as he helped his Slovakian team AS Trecin beat Dunajská Streda 2-1 on the opening day of the new season.

    The diminutive winger, who has been on the radar of a host of European clubs, was on target in the 32nd minute of the game at the Štadión na Sihoti in Trecin before Peter Klešcík made it 2-0 to Trecin. An 88th minute consolation for Dunajská Streda scored by Jakub Brašen was not enough as Trecin began the season on a high.

    Simon has started off where he left from last season after scoring seven goals in 14 games for Trecin, a laudable feat considering he joined the team in the second half of the season.

    The former Ajax Amsterdam trainee, who was part of the Flying Eagles to the 2013 Under-20 World Cup in Turkey, told supersport.com that he hopes to build on the success of last season and help Trecin do well in the Europa League.

    “I’m really ecstatic about my goal in the first game of the 2014/15 season, but most importantly that we won the game and our first three points.

    “I’m getting more settled here and enjoying my football. I hope we can do well in the league and in Europe too. I’ll also love to surpass my records from last season,” he told supersport.com.

  • Owolabi on target in Koge thrashing

    Owolabi on target in Koge thrashing

    Danish First Division side HB Koge have arrived in Leipzig, where they will hold a training camp for a week in preparation for the new season which starts on July 25.

    In the close season, the Swans bolstered their ranks by signing Olajide Samuel Owolabi from FC Midtjylland on undisclosed terms.

    On Saturday, manager Henrik Pedersen named the young Nigerian midfielder in his startling lineup for the exhibition game with Germany’s basement side FC Bitterfeld.

    Samuel Owolabi was on target in the 28th minute as HB Koge powered their way past the German part-timers, thrashing them 8-0, with the first five goals coming in the first half.

    The 19 – year – old was on parade at the Jahn stadium in Wolfen for 66 minutes before he was replaced by Emil Erba.

    It is expected that the former FC Ebedei starlet will get some minutes under his belt in the upcoming season, after failing to make his official debut for FC Midtjylland.

  • Olarenwaju Kayode on target

    Olarenwaju Kayode on target

    Israeli Premier League newcomers Maccabi Netanya continued to perfect their tactics ahead of the start of the season with another friendly game on Thursday against Beitar Jerusalem.

    Yossi Mizrahi’s charges were hoping to record their second win on the bounce, but could only manage a 3 – 3 draw with Beitar Jerusalem.

    Nigeria youth international Olarenwaju Kayode, one of their heroes last season,scored the first goal of the game in the 16th minute after a pass from strike partner, Eran Levi.

    The former Flying Eagles striker was later brought down for a penalty 15 minutes later,which was converted by Eran Levi.

    But Bietar Jerusalem leveled the scoreline in the second half,with two goals in the 72nd and 80th minute.

    Olarenwaju Kayode extended his contract with Maccabi Netanya in the close season, despite being courted by teams in Germany and Italy.

  • ‘How to meet 10,000Mw power target’

    ‘How to meet 10,000Mw power target’

    To meet the 10,000 megawatts (Mw) of electricity target by next year, the Federal Government requires about three million standard cubit feet of gas daily (mmscf/d) to fire the turbines across the country, experts have said.

    The Chief Executive Officer, Niger Delta Exploration and Production Company (NDEPC), Lai Fatona, and the President, Petroleum and Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Emeka Ene, said the only viable option to improve electricity supply is to provide the plants with the required volume of gas.

    Fatona said the cubit of gas needed to place the plants in utmost capacity is in millions, adding that 200,635 standard cubit feet of gas is needed per day to produce 1,000 megawatts, while 2.635million standard cubic feet of gas per day would give the country 10,000 megawatts of electricity.

    He said: ‘’10,031 standard cubit of gas would produce 50megawatts; 20,063 standard cubit feet of gas would provide 100 megawatts; and 200,635 standard cubic feet of gas would be needed to generate 1,000 megawatts. To generate 10,000 megawatts, the power plants would need 2.635 standard cubit of gas.’’

    He said power generation companies must access gas constantly, if they want to perform optimally. He explained that infrastructure is inhibiting the growth of the power sector, arguing that inability to address the problem is affecting generation and distribution.

    Investment in infrastructure, he said, requires a paradigm shift to enable the government to meet the electricity needs of its people.

    Fatona said power firms must be discouraged from fixing the price of gas if the sector would record growth.

    ‘’Infrastructure is the major problem in the sector. As a way of addressing the problem, the utilities firms must be prevented from fixing the price of gas. They have no right fixing the price. The time has come for the companies to completely hand-off such responsibilities. They need to allow people to invest in gas infrastructure. When this happens, the firms would not have problems accessing gas for operation.’’ he added.

    Ene said 80 per cent of the power plants are gas-based, stating that they need un-impeded access to gas to survive. He said each of the turbines need certain amounts of gas to function well since they have different capacities. He said the turbines are designed to meet certain production targets, stressing that gas is critical to their success.

    He said there is enough installed capacity in power plants to increase electricity generation from 6,000 to 10,000 megawatts if enough gas can be supplied.

    He said: “What I know is that millions of standard cubit of gas would be needed by the turbines to function well. Due to the complex nature of their production, the turbines need volumes of gas to survive.”

    He advised the government and private operators to help in fast-tracking gas projects across the country, saying that such investment would boost the power sector operation.